Crossing the Threshold

Preface to the eManual

This is the preface to the 'Crossing the Threshold' eManual supporting the project for England and Wales dedicated to resourcing outreach and ministry to non-churchgoing Catholics.

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In October 2012, the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops took place in Rome. The theme of the gathering was "The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith" and people came from all over the world to affirm and celebrate that the Church exists to evangelise, to share and witness to the life and message of Jesus Christ.

It is the calling and duty of every baptised person to witness to their faith as they can. This ‘Practical Guide for Parishes’ has been written to help all tiers of the Catholic community to do just that.

An important focus of the work of evangelisation in England and Wales is ministry and outreach to the estimated four million non-churchgoing, sometimes called ‘lapsed’, Catholics.

While the lapsation of baptised is not new within the Catholic community, the worry and anxiety experienced by parents, siblings and grandparents of non-churchgoing baptised, is deep and heartfelt. We all hold in our hearts at least one person in our family who seems disconnected from the life of the Church.

We would encourage you to use the materials offered in this ‘Practical Guide’ to invite those closest to you to re-connect with their faith and their local parish, mindful that this is not an “us” and “them” model of ministry, but that we are all in need of deepening our relationship with Christ.